Lazarus Pits
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| See also: | DCU |
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Lazarus Pits are alchemical pools in DC Comics that, when bathed in, restore life. They are most commonly associated with Ra’s al Ghul and his League of Assassins, and have made appearances in the comics, TV shows, and video games.
In Comics
Ra’s al Ghul discovered how to create Lazarus Pits around the time of the Crusades, and has used them to extend his life ever since.[1] A Lazarus Pit must be formed at an intersection of the Earth’s ley lines—mystical currents of energy that criss-cross the globe—or else the Pit will fail, killing the user. Generally, a Lazarus Pit may only be used once to restore life. Bruce Wayne (Batman) sought to use this to his advantage, and began traveling the globe to destroy Lazarus Pits and reduce Ra’s al Ghul to one final, natural lifespan. However, Ra’s al Ghul’s estranged daughter Nyssa Raatko eventually refined the alchemy, creating a Lazarus Pit that could be reused.[2]
Usually orange or green in color, Lazarus Pits are depicted as frothing pools of water and vapor. A dead or injured body is lowered into the pit, and after a moment emerges in a rage. This madness is common, but in the comics is depicted to be a brief spell that quickly subsides. Sources imply that the longer the individual has been deceased, the more difficult the resurrection.[3]
Arrow (TV)
Lazarus Pits appear in Arrow, again serving to prolong Ra’s al Ghul’s life. However, in contrast to the comics, there is initially only one Lazarus Pit, in Nanda Parbat, the Arrowverse home of the League of Assassins. This pit was used to resurrect Sara Lance. Later, the discovery of new Lazarus Pits drive Malcolm Merlyn to create the Thanatos Guild.
In Fan Media
The brief period of insanity after resurrection in a Lazarus Pit has bee adopted and expanded by some Batman fans into the “Pit Madness” trope. In this trope, the instability and heightened aggression can reoccur far after the time of immersion. Jason Todd is commonly depicted as experiencing periods of this Pit Madness. Some fans in turn have been critical of the Pit Madness trope, arguing that it is without basis in canon. However, some elements of fan-constructed Pit Madness can be seen in the Arrow TV show, which depicts those resurrected by Lazarus Pits as experiencing prolonged consequences.
Fan Meta
I Read Nearly Every Appearance of the Lazarus Pit Before Flashpoint and All I Got Was A Headache: A Meta Commentary by secretlystephaniebrown